Norin Cade
}}| }px]] |- ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#a47719; color:#ffffff;" | Biographical Information |- | Full Name |Norin Radon Cade |- | Nicknames |Nori, My Lord, Lord Cade |- | Homeland |Unknown, though he was raised in Ealdor amongst the Elves |- | Born |1165 AD |- | Died |1202 AD - decapitated whilst defending his son and daughter. |- | Occupation |Prince Consort of Elysium, Knight (with honours) in the King of England's Army, Knight in the Elysian Army and High Lord of Knighton |- | Sigil | |- | Motto |If it can be dreamt, it can be done. |- ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#a47719; color:#ffffff;" | Physical Description |- | Race |Human |- | Gender |Male |- | Height |5' 10½" (1.79 m) |- | Hair color |Dark Brown |- | Eye color |Green |- | Distinguishing Features |A scar across the back of his left wrist from battle in the Holy Lands. |- | Languages Spoken |English, Greek, Latin, French, Celtic |- ! colspan="2" style="background-color:#a47719; color:#ffffff;" | Family |- | Parents | *Saffiya Cade - Mother † *Reed Cade - Father † |- | Spouse(s) | *Rose Storm, Queen of the Elves - Wife † *Elissia Duane - Brief fling and mother of one of his daughters. † |- | Children | *Torani Storm *Seth Storm * Vesper Duane † *Lorcan Storm (adopted) * Rose Storm II (Daughter-in-Law) † *Alistair Theirin (Son-in-Law) † *Gwaine Calvierri (Son-in-Law) |- | Other Family Members | *Keras Ksenia - Sister-in-Law *Lucan Storm - Brother-in-Law † *Hector Storm - Brother-in-Law † *Kyra Spyros - Honourary Sister-in-Law † *Achilles, son of Peleus - Honourary Brother-in-Law † *Eldin Sunweaver - Nephew *Lyra Sunweaver - Niece-in-law † *Panos, son of Achilles - Honourary Nephew *Arista, Daughter of Achilles - Honourary Niece * Seifa Storm - Granddaughter * Mithian Storm - Granddaughter * Eira Storm - Granddaughter * Flynn Storm - Grandson * Rosalie Storm - Granddaughter |} 'Personality and Traits' Norin was an extremely witty and clever young man, who was also arrogant but selfless, dryly humorous, heroic, undaunted by authority and sometimes outrageously bold. He was also principled and extremely honourable and loyal. He taught himself to wield a sword during his teens and practiced regularly, with the aim of one day becoming a Knight in Proctor's army, although when the opportunity to join an army arose, it was not Proctor's army that Norin joined, but in fact King Richard of England's. He allowed his pride and his eagerness for battle to cloud his judgement and, having always had a problem with ordering his priorities, he almost lost the love of his life when he ran away to join the war in the Holy Lands, thousands of miles away. Fortunately for him, his personality was enough to remind Rose Storm, Princess and future Queen of the Elves, why she'd loved him in the first place, and after a bit of a frosty reunion when he returned, he soon won her round once more. 'History' 'Early Life' Norin has no idea of his true homeland or where he was born, but he does know that three days after his birth, he was brought to the elven kingdom by his parents. They settled in the village of Knighton, and he grew up amongst the Elves, whilst his parents taught him many things, including his sense of honour and duty, but the one thing they were never able to teach him was the Elven language. No matter how hard he tried to learn it, it just would not stick in his mind. A few odd words did - enough for him to impress his Elven friends and his future wife, Princess Rose - but not enough for him to hold a conversation or understand it when it was spoken to him. Still, he was happy and he didn't care. Reed, Saffiya and most of the Elven population spoke English or French anyway, and he was fluent in them, so there was never really an issue with the language barrier. He'd often go out hunting with Reed, or chop wood from the nearby forest and learned from an early age which woods were best to use for which types of weather and occasion. Some woods were better for cooking over, some produced more heat and some produced less smoke. Knowing which wood was best was a skill he prided himself in, as well as the fact that chopping it also developed his muscles, making him far more appealing to the young women of the village. There was only ever one young woman he was ever interested in, however. He'd known Rose since she was three years old - he and his father had gone to the Palace one day to ask permission to hunt in a certain part of the kingdom, and on their way to the throne room, he and his father had run into the Queen and her young daughter Rose. At the time, Norin was just six years old, whilst Rose was a baby of three. His father left him outside the throne room to play with Rose whilst he spoke with the king, and Rose took an instant shine to the young boy. From then on whenever they happened to run into one another, they begged their parents to let them play. King Proctor was glad that it kept his 'troublesome' daughter out from under his feet, whilst Queen Sophia was glad that her daughter had finally found some friends to play with. Reed and Saffiya were not against the friendship either, although they worried about Norin getting too close to the Royal family, in case anything should go wrong. It never did, however, and they needn't have worried. 'Betrothal and War' By the time Rose was 16 and Norin 19, the pair were so obviously in love that even a blind man could see it. On the eve of his 19th birthday, Norin plucked up the courage to go to the King and ask permission for his daughter's hand in marriage. Proctor refused at first, repulsed by the idea that a human would join his 'pure' family, but Rose had been secretly listening in on the meeting and from then on tried her hardest to rebel and make life as difficult for her father as possible, eventually forcing his hand and making him agree to the union, just to get a bit of peace. Norin had been well aware of Rose's antics, but chose to plead ignorance when he proposed to her. She accepted withou hesitation (as he knew she would) and that evening the Cade family were invited to the Palace for a celebratory meal and to welcome them to the Royal Family. Proctor was annoyed by the fact that not only was Norin human, he was also from a 'common' family too, so under threat of Rose rebelling against him again, he finally bestowed titles upon the three Cades. Reed became High Lord of Knighton, Saffiya became First Lady and Norin became the only human Lord in the whole of Elysium. With their newfound wealth and powers, Reed and Saffiya began planning a lavish wedding, with the aid of Queen Sophia and her handmaidens. Rose chose her dress, but that was all she was allowed to do, by order of her father, who did not want the wedding to be a reward for her rebellious behaviour, and instead used it as a way to punish her instead. She was often locked out of the Palace when the meetings and planning sessions were under way, and truly had no idea what was even in store for her in the months ahead. Norin had no idea how to even plan a wedding, to begin with, so he'd often spend that time with Rose, keeping her occupied outside the palace - going for walks along the beach, teaching her how to wield a sword like Reed had taught him, trying to learn Elvish from her (but with no more success than when Reed and Saffiya had tried to teach him), and generally just enjoying her company. Things were going so well between them that he thought nothing would ever go wrong. And then the war came, and everything changed - as it so often does - in an instant. Although Norin did not know the details of why it had started, or who the humans were at war against, he had foolishly pledged his vow to the human King a few years previously as a dare from one of his elven friends, and so, he realised that he could not break that vow now and must go to war. Rose, who knew much more of the details from her secret eavesdropping on the meetings between Richard and her own father, begged Norin not to go. She told him that his friends had never realised war would ever come, and that he could not be expected to keep a promise made under duress (like one made as part of a dare). Norin, however, had been taught to uphold honour and loyalty above all else, and as he'd made a promise to the English King, he intended to keep it. For many nights they argued over Norin's principles and the honour of upholding a foolish promise to a man he didn't even know, but eventually Norin won and Rose backed off, knowing she would never change his mind. He offered to marry her before he left so that he would know there was someone waiting back home for him when he returned, but time simply ran out and Richard took him and the other men he'd recruited, late one evening. With a whispered promise to Rose, and a final lingering kiss, he rode off into the night with the rest of the king's army, never looking back for fear of his heart breaking. Rose, although furious with him for abandoning her on what she deemed a 'fools crusade', never gave up the hope that he would return to her one day - although as they years passed by, she began to lose all hope that he would indeed return to her. Norin, however, never stopped thinking about her. She was with him every waking moment of the day, and every night in his dreams, also. He realised that he'd made a foolish mistake, leaving her as he did, but it was too late for him to back out now. He was commited to a war he neither understood, nor cared about, and leaving was not an option. 'Honourary Discharge' Eight years of battle later, Norin had established himself as a prominent knight in Richard's army, and had even become a friend of the King himself. The two would often sit together in Richard's tent, discussing battle tactics and plans, or ride out together to survey the situation in the other areas of the lands and the other ranks of the army. Being a Lord was also a bonus for Norin, and stood him in good stead within the army. Towards the end of his time in the Holy Lands, he was viewed as the 'implicit authority' amongst the group of Elvish Knights with whom he served, and even other officers and knights would defer to him at times, if he offered advice or gave them battle orders. And then on night, a group of 'saracens' infiltrated the camp, surprising the King and almost killing him. Their attempt was foiled by Norin, however, who had been on duty outside and had heard strange voices speaking in a foreign tongue, coming from inside the tent. He went inside to investigate, saw the situation and bravely threw himself between the attackers and the monarch, sustaining a terrible wound to his side for his efforts, but defeating them and saving Richard's life none-the-less. Richard awoke and sounded the alarm, and the remaining attackers were swiftly dealt with. Later on it turned out that it was not an enemy group at all, but in fact a group of Templars who were rebelling against the Christian King so that they could place another upon his throne. Norin was tended by the King's own personal medic, and given the best possible care, but even the best healers and the best medicines could not stop the stitching from becoming infected. He caught a fever, resulting in a coma that lasted for several days, during which time the King moved his camp and sent word for Norin to return home and recover fully. He also left signed papers which legally discharged Norin from the army so that he would not be called a desserter. He was given full honours and a personal commendation from the King for his bravery, as well. Norin was glad to finally be away from the dreadful fighting he had seen every day for almost as long as he could remember, and as soon as he was well enough, he eagerly returned to Elysium. He was warmly welcomed back by everyone - including King Proctor, who was impressed by the commendation and honours that Norin had won himself. Proctor stated that Norin had brought honour not only to himself, but to his Elven people too, and promoted him to High Lord - a title equal to Reed Cade. Proctor also finally acknowledged Norin as one of his people. Norin was so overwhelmed by the warm welcome he'd received that at first he did not realise anyone was missing from his homecoming celebrations, until he entered the banquete hall that evening and saw one particular chair at the Royal table that was empty. Princess Rose was still hurt by his departure, and refused to acknowledge his return or even dignify him with an appearance at his homecoming feast. Her brothers were kind enough, eager to hear his stories of the war and the battle he'd fought, and Queen Sophia was also very friendly, telling him that she was glad he was safe and home once more. He eventually asked her where Rose was, and Sophia explained about Rose's stubborn nature, and how much she'd grown and changed since he'd last seen her. She stated that it would take some time for her daughter to come round to the idea that he was back again, but eventually she would. Norin wasn't so sure, however. When he saw Rose a few days later, things didn't go so well and their reunion was rather frosty. He tried to woo her with his charms, but what once had worked, many years previously, now only increased her ire - so much so that after that first reunion, she refused to speak to him for weeks after. 'Making Amends' 'The War of Midas' 'Confronting a God' 'Learning the Way of the Elves ' Now that he was Prince Consort of the Elves, Norin decided it was high time to learn some of their customs and manners - the ones that he had not already learned during his childhood. One of the first things he asked Rose to teach him was how to use a bow. The Elves were legendary bowmen and he did not want to disappoint them, or tarnish this reputation, so he went to the best archer he knew - his very own wife, Rose. She taught him how to feel for a target and 'call it' towards him, ignoring all else around him and seeing only the end of his arrow and the target he was aiming for. If he did it right, the target, no matter how far away, would appear to move towards him and he'd see it as clearly as if it were right in front of him. He'd also feel a groove or a channel in the air, leading directly to the target. All he'd have to do would be to place the arrow in this groove and it would carry it in a direct line to wherever he wanted it to go. The way she explained it sounded so simple to Norin that he was confident he could do it. After weeks of trying, however, he finally conceded that it was actually harder than it looked. Still, he eventually learned how to do it, and how to avoid such distractions as battles and fighting around him or, as was more often the case, Rose doing everything in her power to distract him. His second lesson was how to ride horses without a saddle or stirrups. He'd always used the traditional tack when riding, but Elves refused to subject their horses to the 'cruelty' of having extra weight upon their backs, and the possibilities that the saddles could rub or cause sores that would be painful to both man and beast. So they used simple rugs tied with silk straps, and relied on their balance to keep them ahorse, rather than stirrups. Norin was an able rider anyway and soon mastered this art. His third lesson was how to speak Elvish. But this just seemed like something he was not destined to do. No matter how many hours Rose spent teaching him, he still could not grasp the concept. In the end Rose managed to teach him how to say simple greetings and farewells - enough to impress any visiting dignitaries to the kingdom at any rate. Norin also learned how to say "I love you," and surprised Rose with this one day, much to her delight. After learning these three things, he finally considered himself to be an elf, rather than just an outsider, and was content, for the first time in his life, that finally he belonged somewhere and had a real home, with a real family, where he was accepted for who he was. 'Death' For five years after Rose and Norin's marriage , the Storm family lived peaceful lives, and even welcomed a son into the family. Tora doted on Seth and adored him just as much as she adored Pan and Lyra. She fell easily into the role of the older sister and taught him to be a prankster just like her, although being so young, he never fully developed the skills needed to join the ranks of the 'three amigos' as Rose had affectionately taken to calling them (though never to their faces, because Tora kicked up a right fuss if she did). Norin settled well into the role of Prince Consort, and Rose could not have been happier. She had her Greek friends, she had the man she had loved since the day she'd first met him (though she'd never have admited this to him in a million years) and she had two gorgeous children. The kingdom was at peace and everything seemed right with the world. But, like everything in the Storm family, this happiness was destined to be short lived. Keras Ksenia, Rose's older sister, had been missing since before Rose was born and many presumed she was dead, until she showed herself as the leader of the Dark Elves, however. The Dark Elves had always been at odds with their lighter counterparts, although during Proctor's reign he had always managed to drive them out of the kingdom before any real harm could be done. Rose had never had to deal with the Dark Elves before, and after a prolonged period of inactivity on their part, she foolishly believed that perhaps they had finally given in. She relaxed her guard, giving them the opportunity needed to strike, and led by Keras, they stormed the Grand Palace in the dead of night, catching everyone off guard. Rose was seperated from Norin and her children, and desperately fought her way through the palace, trying to find them again. By morning, the Dark Elves had been succesfully driven back, but a heavy price had been paid. A very heavy price. Because as Rose ran into the throne room, she saw a sight that would haunt her forever more. Tora was cowering in a small, secret compartment beneath the golden throne, sobbing in terror, her eyes squeezed shut against the carnage in the room around her. But it wasn't the hundreds of bodies that she was terrified of. It was the fact that if she dared to open her eyes, she'd see the lifeless eyes of her little brother staring back at her, blood running down his face from his smashed skull. And behind him, his head seperated from his body, lay Norin. Tora had not seen them die - she'd had the sense to look away and close her eyes. But she knew they were both dead, and she knew that if she opened her eyes, she would see them. So, despite her sheer terror at the situation, and the fact that she was scared to death, she'd refused to open her eyes and subject herself to even more haunting nightmares. It took all of Rose's strength to keep her voice from breaking as she gently coaxed her daughter out from under the throne, and carried her away from the grissly scene, keeping her head held firmly to her shoulder, as Tora sobbed uncontrollably. Rose had to remain strong, for the sake of her daughter, but when the news came that Sophia, her mother, was also dead, it finally became too much for her and she took herself off into a quiet room and cried until she could literally cry no more. In that one evening alone, she had lost her mother, her husband and her son, all to the sister she'd never met, because of the actions of her father, before she was even born. If Rose had hated her father before, she absolutely loathed and despised him now. Because she didn't blame her sister for this attack. She blamed Proctor for driving Keras away and turning her so bitter and full of hatred in the first place. Norin was buried a week later after he was given a full and proper state funeral befitting of a Prince. His body was laid to rest amongst the other Royals, and he became the first and only human Storm to inhabit the tomb beneath the Palace, although years later, Alistair Theirin would share this honour. Category:Knight Category:Human Category:Male Category:Royalty Category:Dragon Blood Category:First Generation Category:Deceased Characters